Juvenile stabs cousin over meat

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A 16-YEAR-OLD juvenile appeared in court for allegedly stabbing his cousin over meat, after they got drunk and quarrelled during a meal.

A 16-YEAR-OLD juvenile appeared in court for allegedly stabbing his cousin over meat, after they got drunk and quarrelled during a meal.

PRESTIGE GAMA OWN CORRESPONDENT

The boy, who cannot be named as he is a minor, appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Mafios Moyo, where he was charged for contravening section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

He pleaded guilty to the charge, claiming he was drunk and the magistrate remanded him out of custody on free bail.

“It was just a misunderstanding. We both do not know what we were doing because we were drunk,” the boy said.

“(The victim) is my brother and he knows I would not have done him any harm if I was sober.”

The juvenile expressed regret and apologised to the magistrate in court, seeking leniency.

“I am sorry for committing this offence. It was not my intension to harm my brother,” he pleaded.

Agreed facts state that the accused was drinking with his cousin at Zothile sports bar in Entumbane, where they both got drunk and helped each other find their way home at around midnight.

When they got home, the victim went straight to the refrigerator to look for food. The two stayed without an elderly person in the house.

The juvenile suspected that his brother wanted to take his food and he jumped off his chair and slapped him. The two cousins then quarrelled on cooking arrangements, after the juvenile had accused his cousin of wanting to finish all the food.

“I failed to understand how he ate my share and refused that I cook more meat,” said the complainant.

“I got furious and told him off, that is when he followed me outside and stabbed me in the ribs with an okapi knife.”

Daniel Mudimba, who witnessed the fight, said the two were quarrelling over meat, with the juvenile wanting to save it for the following day, while the older cousin wanted to cook it. Mufaro Mageza prosecuted.